Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xuesong Li, Yicong Wu, Yijun Su, Ivan Rey-Suarez, Claudia Matthaeus, Taylor B. B. Updegrove, Zhuang Wei, Lixia Zhang, Hideki Sasaki, Yue Li, Min Guo, John P. P. Giannini, Harshad D. D. Vishwasrao, Jiji Chen, Shih-Jong J. Lee, Lin Shao, Huafeng Liu, Kumaran S. S. Ramamurthi, Justin W. W. Taraska, Arpita Upadhyaya, Patrick La Riviere, Hari Shroff
Summary: Enhanced axial resolution for 3D SIM is achieved with deep learning or four-beam interference. These methods allow for higher spatial frequency content and near-isotropic imaging with resolutions of around 120 nm in both lateral and axial directions. The deep learning method can also be combined with denoising for volumetric imaging. Various cellular samples were imaged to demonstrate the potential of these advancements.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Anella Saggese, Giovanni Di Gregorio Barletta, Maria Vittoria, Giuliana Donadio, Rachele Isticato, Loredana Baccigalupi, Ezio Ricca
Summary: The CotG protein in the Bacillus subtilis spore coat controls spore permeability through its central region of positively charged tandem repeats. The presence of central repeats is a common feature in CotG-like proteins in most Bacillus species. This study contributes to the understanding of the structure and function of bacterial spores.
Article
Cell Biology
Thomas Delerue, Vivek Anantharaman, Michael C. Gilmore, David L. Popham, Felipe Cava, L. Aravind, Kumaran S. Ramamurthi
Summary: The protein SpoVID plays a crucial role in monitoring the polymerization state of the coat basement layer in Bacillus subtilis spores, halting sporulation when coat assembly is initiated improperly. By interacting with the membrane-bound lipid II peptidoglycan precursor, SpoVID prevents cortex assembly, linking the roles of coat and cortex assembly together.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aisling Brady, Nuria Quiles-Puchalt, Francisca Gallego del Sol, Sara Zamora-Caballero, Alonso Felipe-Ruiz, Jorge Val-Calvo, Wilfried J. J. Meijer, Alberto Marina, Jose R. Penades
Summary: Some Bacillus-infecting bacteriophages utilize a peptide-based communication system, called arbitrium, to coordinate the lysis-lysogeny decision. AimR, a key player in this system, is involved in a complex network of regulation. The SP beta phage, possessing a functional arbitrium system, can optimize production of infective particles while preserving the number of surviving cells, which increases phage persistence in nature.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhiwei Tu, Henk L. Dekker, Winfried Roseboom, Bhagyashree N. Swarge, Peter Setlow, Stanley Brul, Gertjan Kramer
Summary: The research investigated the proteome dynamics during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis vegetative cells under nutrient limitation. Protein co-expression analysis identified four modules, with brown and green modules being upregulated during sporulation containing proteins associated with sporulation, while blue module showed negative correlation and contained ribosomal and metabolic proteins. Besides known transcription regulons, some proteins co-expressed with brown and green modules may also play roles during sporulation. Levels of some coat proteins decreased late in sporulation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ke Bi, Yue Liu, Weishan Xin, Jie Yang, Bianfei Zhang, Zhong Zhang
Summary: The combined heat and e-polylysine treatments effectively inactivated Bacillus subtilis spores, causing damage to cell membranes and increased permeability. Microscopy analysis revealed significant changes in spore morphology, while Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated alterations in the inner membrane and changes in the structure of peptidoglycan layer, as well as protein and nucleic acids denaturation.
Article
Biophysics
Michal Bodik, Daniela Krajcikova, Jakub Hagara, Eva Majkova, Imrich Barak, Peter Siffalovic
Summary: The Bacillus subtilis spore coat is a bacterial proteinaceous structure with unique characteristics such as self-organization, toughness, and flexibility. It is composed of over 80 coat proteins, some of which form two-dimensional crystal structures. By applying Grazing-Incidence Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (GIWAXS), researchers were able to investigate the diffraction pattern of CotY 2D crystals formed on Langmuir monolayer films. The diffractions obtained pave the way for determining the 3D structure of coat proteins using strong X-ray sources.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ane Landajuela, Martha Braun, Alejandro Martinez-Calvo, Christopher D. A. Rodrigues, Carolina Gomis Perez, Thierry Doan, David Z. Rudner, Ned S. Wingreen, Erdem Karatekin
Summary: In Bacillus subtilis, membrane fission during cell division and endospore formation involves forespore inflation, increased membrane tension, and the presence of FisB protein. Forespore inflation leads to higher tension in the engulfment membrane, causing membrane flow and supplying membrane for forespore growth. FisB oligomerization at the membrane neck slows tension equilibration, further increasing engulfment membrane tension and promoting fission.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yusei Nakaya, Miu Uchiike, Mayuko Hattori, Momoka Moriyama, Kimihiro Abe, Ella Kim, Patrick Eichenberger, Daisuke Imamura, Tsutomu Sato
Summary: The Bacillus subtilis spore consists of a core with chromosomal DNA, a cortex layer of peptidoglycan, and a coat composed of proteinaceous layers. A polysaccharide layer is added to the spore surface, likely anchored to the outermost coat layer. The identity of the coat protein(s) to which the spore polysaccharides (SPS) are attached is uncertain.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jingqi Chen, Auke J. van Heel, Oscar P. Kuipers
Summary: A membrane-associated lanthipeptide synthetase complex was studied in rod-shaped cells, revealing the spatial distribution and dynamics of NisT, NisB, and NisC along the cell periphery, with highly colocalized NisBTC proteins. Isolation of the biosynthetic complex corroborated that the bright foci were sites for nisin maturation and transportation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Seunghyun Sim, Yue Hui, David A. Tirrell
Summary: The incorporation of living cells into materials presents both challenges and possibilities. In this study, a new class of 3D-printable materials based on poly(N-hydroxymethylacrylamide) is developed, which allows the cross-linking of spore-forming bacteria into a polymeric scaffold. These embedded cells and spores can become metabolically active and produce proteins after re-swelling in nutrient-rich media. The leak-free scaffold enables protein production while preventing cell escape. This research demonstrates the potential utility of living composite materials in various applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yan Wang, Ronald M. P. Breedijk, Mark A. Hink, Lars Bults, Norbert O. E. Vischer, Peter Setlow, Stanley Brul
Summary: Spores of Bacillus cereus can cause disease in humans due to contamination of raw materials for food manufacturing. Understanding the interaction between germination proteins in germinosomes may suggest new preservation strategies. The study found that GerR and GerD proteins co-localize in the inner membrane of B. cereus spores, with most interaction occurring between GerD and the GR B subunit.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Julien Mortier, Stefanie Van Riet, Diana Senovilla Herrero, Kristof Vanoirbeek, Abram Aertsen
Summary: Elucidating phenotypic heterogeneity is important for understanding bacterial behavior and engineering bacteria in biotechnology. This study presents a high-throughput and high-resolution time-lapse fluorescence microscopy-based strategy for screening heterogeneously expressed genes in Bacillus subtilis. The proof-of-concept screening validates this approach.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giannina Espina, Paulina Caceres-Moreno, Guillermo Mejias-Navarrete, Minghua Ji, Junsong Sun, Jenny M. Blamey
Summary: Laccases are important enzymes with wide substrate specificity and biotechnological potential. This research presents a novel spore-coat laccase with high specific activity, broad temperature range, and the ability to rapidly decolorize various synthetic dyes at 40 degrees Celsius.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael A. DiCandia, Adrianne N. Edwards, Joshua B. Jones, Grace L. Swaim, Brooke D. Mills, Shonna M. McBride
Summary: The study reveals that Spo0A in Clostridioides difficile interacts with similar proteins as in Bacillus, despite the absence of corresponding proteins in the C. difficile genome. Mutation analysis shows that several conserved residues in Spo0A affect the sporulation ability of C. difficile. Furthermore, the phosphorylation site of Spo0A and its impact on activity are determined.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)